Also known as Lu An Gua Pian, this tea is one of the famous leaves of China. I tried some back when I wasn’t as sure about tea in general, and it helped me realise how fantastic Chinese greens can be, so I remember it fondly and sample it every chance I get.

The leaves are green and long with curled edges. I steep a heaping teaspoon per cup at 180° for two minutes. The cup smells relatively mild, with a slight vegetal note and some lemon acidity.

I am surprised by the level of acidity in the cup overall. Normally this leaf is richer and more vegetal, but this take is brighter, with a strong hit of lemon acidity backed by mild vegetal, grassy, and cream notes. It isn’t bitter or unpleasant, and the acidity has enough flavour to back it up, but I would like more vegetal notes to round out the flavour profile.

Overall, it’s a fine tea. I don’t think I’ve fallen in love, but it’s a solid staple, something Adagio does well. It’s the sort of tea I have around all the time and drink when I want a cup that’s relatively simple and easy, but not one I’m going to get particularly excited about.

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Lately I’ve been enjoying Arctic Mood’s organic bagged teas. All of their teas are made with a touch of wild Icelandic Herbs, making them unique as a tea company. Their Nettle & Ginger tea is a detox tea and is meant to boost your energy levels. Detox teas can be a little iffy and needs to be selected carefully. I have had multiple bad experiences with detox teas so I approach them with caution.

This detox tea is all natural and made with nettle, fennel seeds, cardamom seeds, dandelion root, field horsetail, angelica, ginger, green pepper, aniseeds and stars, and rose pepper. A majority of these ingredients are known to aid digestion. I steeped one tea bag in a cup of 90C water for 5 minutes. The water turned a light orange-green color. The smell of ginger, fennel, green pepper, and cardamom is very evident. It has a smell similar to Chai.

The worry with a tea like this is that the spices won’t be properly balanced. There are a lot of strong, over-powering ingredients in this tea. Luckily, they all seemed to blend beautifully. The tea isn’t overpowering or bitter what-so-ever. It is mellow with just enough of a kick. It is rich and sweet.

I have had many detox teas with an unpleasant flavor. The tea was for more the benefits than the flavor. This tea has a wonderful flavor and is a detox tea I would enjoy drinking every morning! my stomach as feels fine after drinking it. No problems with stomach aches or digestion. If you’re searching for the right detox tea, I suggest you try this one.

At this point, Genki Matcha has only one tea, this signature matcha. The powder is a beautiful forest green colour. I sift it, add water, and whisk away. It froths up extremely well, with the bubbles covering the entire surface of the tea and not dissipating quickly.

It smells like hay and grass, but the flavour is more grassy than anything else. There’s none of the brilliant sweetness that I search for in quality matchas, but there’s none of the telltale bitterness or astringency you find in cheap matchas. It has a bright, acidic finish, but it doesn’t leave my mouth feeling dry. The aftertaste has a nice hit of vegetal flavour and leaves a lingering umami flavour on my tongue.

Overall, the lack of sweetness or buttery flavour means this isn’t my favourite matcha, but I don’t really have any big complaints about it, either. It’s an interesting profile for a matcha, and while it doesn’t hit the notes I prefer, it’s a quality tea.

— To purchase Genki Matcha, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular tea, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.

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